Examining the Relationship Between Firefighter Injuries and Fatalities in the Built Environment: A case for reducing the risk to firefighters through adequate firefighting experience, working smoke alarms and sprinkler coverage in buildings

The purpose of this study is to describe firefighter injuries and deaths in structure-related fires and to investigate the underlying connection between building properties, including fire safety measures, and their effects on the risk to firefighters responding to a fire event. For the first time, comprehensive fire-related data across Canada is available in the form of the National Fire Information Database (NFID). Using this new dataset, in conjunction with a literature review and an Association of Worker Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) dataset, this report explores the impact of building properties (e.g. construction material, height) and fire safety measures (e.g. sprinklers, fire alarms) on firefighter casualties. For the purposes of this report, casualties represent both injuries and deaths.

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